A New York Times article released over the weekend featured the city of Burlington and many of the issues people have been dealing with over the past few years, including specifically the increased bike thefts but it also touched on the issue of drug use and policing as well. “We do have a very real public safety problem,” Kelly Devine, Burlington Business Association, said. “There was nothing in the article that surprised me. Too many that visited did not have great experiences and let us know that in writing.”Executive director of the Burlington Business Association Kelly Devine said she’s worried about the impacts this will have on downtown businesses and tourism. She said businesses are already reporting that foot traffic is down compared to this time of year pre-pandemic.South District Ward City Councilor Democrat Joan Shannon also said she isn’t surprised by what the article had to say and that it really didn’t miss the mark. “I think this is sad that Burlington is gaining notoriety in this way, but we also have to face our problems in order to rectify them,” Shannon said. “Open drug dealing in our downtown is not acceptable. There’s a lot of nefarious activity happening before our eyes and it’s not being addressed.”Shannon hopes that the city council can tackle what she believes is a major contributing issue: the depleting police force. One of the first steps, the councilor said, would finally be appointing a police chief after more than two years without one.Ward 3 City Councilor Progressive Joe Magee disagrees that the police force is the first focus when it comes to Burlington’s public safety issue. Magee also believes the article didn’t tell the real story of Burlington’s problems. “I do think that this is painting an unfair picture,” Magee said. “It didn’t really talk about the positive things we have done, and I don’t think it adequately addressed the work that we still have to do.”Magee said the first thing the city needs to do is address the lack of resources in housing, mental health, and drug addiction services. Both councilors added that regardless of the issues facing the city, they still feel like Burlington is a safe place to be.Neither Councilor Shannon nor Councilor Magee was asked to participate in the New York Times article. We reached out to Mayor Miro Weinberger’s office, but have not received a response.
A New York Times article released over the weekend featured the city of Burlington and many of the issues people have been dealing with over the past few years, including specifically the increased bike thefts but it also touched on the issue of drug use and policing as well.
“We do have a very real public safety problem,” Kelly Devine, Burlington Business Association, said. “There was nothing in the article that surprised me. Too many that visited did not have great experiences and let us know that in writing.”
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Executive director of the Burlington Business Association Kelly Devine said she’s worried about the impacts this will have on downtown businesses and tourism. She said businesses are already reporting that foot traffic is down compared to this time of year pre-pandemic.
South District Ward City Councilor Democrat Joan Shannon also said she isn’t surprised by what the article had to say and that it really didn’t miss the mark.
“I think this is sad that Burlington is gaining notoriety in this way, but we also have to face our problems in order to rectify them,” Shannon said. “Open drug dealing in our downtown is not acceptable. There’s a lot of nefarious activity happening before our eyes and it’s not being addressed.”
Shannon hopes that the city council can tackle what she believes is a major contributing issue: the depleting police force. One of the first steps, the councilor said, would finally be appointing a police chief after more than two years without one.
Ward 3 City Councilor Progressive Joe Magee disagrees that the police force is the first focus when it comes to Burlington’s public safety issue. Magee also believes the article didn’t tell the real story of Burlington’s problems.
“I do think that this is painting an unfair picture,” Magee said. “It didn’t really talk about the positive things we have done, and I don’t think it adequately addressed the work that we still have to do.”
Magee said the first thing the city needs to do is address the lack of resources in housing, mental health, and drug addiction services.
Both councilors added that regardless of the issues facing the city, they still feel like Burlington is a safe place to be.
Neither Councilor Shannon nor Councilor Magee was asked to participate in the New York Times article. We reached out to Mayor Miro Weinberger’s office, but have not received a response.
